Kiri
by Neferpitou
Summary: A young artifical assassin, clueless in love and life happens to meet a certain Kurta. Their paths meet, but does it end together? Kurapika X OC
1. A little taste of freedom

To some people, judging by her appearance, Kiri would be described at an average, petite girl of around 16 years of age. She has fairly normal features, medium-long black hair, dark black eyes, small round face. Her height could be argued below average,even though she is older than Killua she remains only a few inches taller. Nevertheless, she still gets her job done, and that's all that matters to the Zoldycks.

To the Zoldycks she would be described as robotic. A pet. A 'being' they paid to get created. At a hefty price too. It was Silva's idea to begin with. He was starting to wonder how long it would take before their heir was to be born. It would be quite obvious to him to be able to distinguish who the heir was and it was not Illumi and definitely not Milluki. When he proposed the idea to Kikyo of making an artifical assassin, one which will have the skills that the heir will have if not more, she shrieked and immediately agreed as long as it was a girl.

And thus, the long and pricey process of creating Kiri began, and Kiri was born 3 years after Milluki, on a cold Autumn day.

Kiri knew that her purpose in life was killing. She knew her one and only purpose was to serve the Zoldycks and the Zoldycks alone. Her skills didn't turn out as ideal as the Zoldycks wanted to be, she wasn't as strong as Illumi but she was extremely fast on her feet. Physically, she was an assassin, but emotionally, not quite. If it wasn't for Killua, she was sure she would turn into an Illumi no.2. Passionless puppet.

This was what she thought about on a regular basis, on the grass of the estate. She turned on her front and looked at the sleeping figure of her younger brother. His fine white hair ruffling in the wind and smiled. Everyone expects her to be heartless and emotionless but thanks to her brother, she learned that there's more to life than just killing. There are things in life that can be enjoyed. For instance, chocoballs. She laughed slightly at the thought of chocoballs which cause Killua to sit up with a puzzled look on his face.

"Sorry, did I wake you?" Kiri gave a small apologetic smile and sat facing her brother.

"Not really," Killua yawned, "I wasn't sleeping anyways. Plus, I always wake you up when you're in your deep slumbers."

That was true. Killua always pounced on Kiri whenever he was feeling bored or upset. And most of the time it happened when she was sleeping. It didn't help that when the she was going through the process of being made, Kikyo secretly requested that she was to have some sort of animal DNA (to aid her with her assasinations) inserted in her and it just so happened that she was most compatible with cat. The downside was the regular nappings and cravings for cream.

"Hey Kiri, I was thinking...maybe we should get out of here."

Kiri looked at Killua, wondering if she heard what she thought she had heard.

"Get out of here? For an assignment?"

Killua sighed. "I thought you would say that but no. I meant get out of here. Get out of _this place_. I'm tired of killing, Kiri, Well, more like bored. I want something different."

Kiri saw Killua's eyes light up on the word 'different'.

"Well, I guess you can ask Otou-sama and Okaa-sama..." she began.

"Do you really think they would agree to it?" asked Killua, rolling his eyes. "They don't even let me go anywhere now." He leaned in towards Kiri and spoke in a hushed voice. "What we need to do, is _escape." _

Kiri's eyes widened at the thought of rebelling. "But, they'll find you soon and you'll be punished. Severly too."

Killua leaned back and waggled his index finger side to side. "They won't be able to find us that easily."

"Us?"

Killua blinked at her. "Yes of course I said us, I'm not going to leave you here to decay whilst I go gallivanting off on my own."

Kiri sighed. Killua was too stubborn in times like this.

"Well, I thought you would react like this so you sit here and wait for me. No, in fact, go to the gate and I'll be there in twenty minutes. If anyone comes tell them you're waiting for me." Before Kiri could even utter a single word, Killua stood up and began to walk in the direction towards the house without even a backward glance.

For a moment, Kiri just stayed where she was. Then she flopped back onto the cool grass and let out a deep sigh.

"Freedom.. I wonder how that feels."


	2. Zomatos are good for health

Before I begin, I would like to say that I have completely made up the existence of a Zomato. I figured that there are so many mysterious things in Hunter x Hunter it would be fine for me to make up this object. (I mean c'mon, most of the characters in the story didn't know what sushi was, even Kurapika, so it'll be fine for them to not know what a Zomato. Even YOU don't know what a Zomato is. Fair enough, I made it up. Okay I'll stop speaking nonsense now. If you don't understand, you'll understand soon.

"Kiri, Kiri wake up!"

Kiri felt a light poking in her ribs. She moaned a little a turned over to her side in her seat.

"KIRI!"

Kiri jolted awake and scowled at the boy sitting next to her.

"What's the matter Killua? I was having a nice nap." She shot Killua a slightly upset look. The bumpy journey had a calming effect on her and lulled her to sleep in a matter of minutes. Turning her head, she looked out of the window at their surroundings and suddenly remembered where they were.

After Killua injured Milluki and his mother, he and Kiri quickly escaped the estate. Killua, who had heard of the Hunter exam, suggested that as a place to go and Kiri, who had no idea where she wanted to go, agreed without any complaint.

So there they were, sitting on a bus heading towards the first meeting place of the exam.

"It seems like we are in the middle of nowhere doesn't it," said Killua. He had a map of the local area spread open across his lap. "I don't even know where we are anymore" he sighed. They appeared to be in an area full of mountains and green fields; endless flowing rivers and forests of trees. The sky was clear and a beautiful blue colour. Nature at its finest.

"This seems like a pretty nice place," commented Kiri. "Illumi would like this."

"Don't mention him."

Kiri looked over to Killua. His head was still bent over the map, but his fists were clenched.

_"I guess I probably shouldn't mention the family at all," _Kiri thought. _"Since we are out, we should forget for as long as we can." _

Kiri didn't hate her job. In fact, it wasn't much of a deal to her. If it wasn't for her job then there wouldn't be a purpose to her, if there wasn't a purpose then she wouldn't be alive, so she should be grateful. And grateful she was. However, Killua's mood always seems to affect her. If he was upset, she would be. If he wasn't, she wasn't. She guessed that was a result from spending too much time with him. It was Killua who told her a lot of stuff, instead of it being the other way round. So since Killua didn't want to kill anymore, she followed him.

_"Well, if they catch us and take us back, then I will just go back to what I used to do. Life would resume and this would be over. I'll just enjoy this whilst I can." _was the agreement that Kiri made with her inner self. This way, she wouldn't exactly be betraying the family but she wouldn't be damaging the bond she had with Killua. It worked out well.

A cocking, confident voice broke Kiri out of her thoughts

"I bet everyone on this coach thinks they have a fair chance in becoming a hunter."

She looked up to see a tenuous man in his early twenties strut down the coach between the passenger seats. The coach attendant desperately tried to make him sit back in his seat but he just waved away her attempts.

"Well, let me tell you, you better think again." He looked over at Killua and Kiri and sniggered a little whilst flipping his greasy fringe out of his eyes. "Last year I entered the Hunter exam so I'm no rookie, and let me tell you, it's not something that ordinary people can handle. And by the looks of it, I'll say probably none of you will even be able to pass the first test." He paused for a second to take in the reaction of the people around him. Everyone on the coach stopped what they were doing and all eyes were on him. "For me though, it will probably be a piece of cake."

He spun around and started walking back up the middle of the coach. "However, I am a kind man, if you want some _insider _information as to how to pass this test, I will offer some information at 10,000 Jenny a piece."

Some muttering began in the coach, and Kiri spied some people reaching for their wallets in their back pockets.

"Well if it's so easy for you, you wouldn't have failed would you," commented Killua loudly.

The man turned his head sharply and looked towards Killua. "_What _did you say, boy?"

"Let me put it in simpler words, I said that you're obviously a scam who doesn't know what he's doing since you failed last year's exam." Killua stared at the man in the eyes. People like that irritated him. He would've kept quiet usually but the way his kept strutting up and down the coach like he owned the place made him snap.

The man leaned down. His face inches from Killua's. Killua now noted with disgust how oily the man's hair was, some plastered to the sides of his head. "Well boy, let's see how well you do. You'll probably get lost the moment you get off his coach and cry for your mummy." He threw his head back and began laughing.

"Killua, leave it. Everyone probably knows he's a scam, and the ones who don't, God help them. But look, we've arrived." Just as Kiri finished her sentence the coach came to the end of their 2-hour long journey. The man gave them a final leer and stomped off the coach followed by a few with wads of money in their hands.

Kiri and Killua were the last to leave the coach. The countryside air was fresh and crisp and Kiri took a deep breath in and exhaled.

"Welcome to the first destination, my name is Detuo" Everyone turned and saw a short squat man whose face resembled a potato, descend from the steps of the coach.

"I'm sure we were the last to leave the coach," whispered Killua to Kiri," Where did he come from?"

"I didn't sense his presence at all on the coach," Kiri whispered back, confused.

"I will not waffle on about rules and what you can do or cannot do - that is up to you. However, I will tell you the first part of this test. You must solve this riddle and go to the place you need to go; there you will find help on how to advance."

Several people moaned at the word 'riddle' including Killua. "Great," he muttered. "Ask me to kill a couple of people and I can do, but solving stuff is a no-no."

Kiri stifled a laugh. "Using your brain has always been a weakness hasn't it," and received a sharp jab in the ribs.

"Without further ado, please listen to this riddle and decipher it to the best of your ability.

_I am not perfectly round,_

_I am short and squat,_

_You cannot find me on a tree, _

_Yet I am easy to see. _

_My skin is blood red _

_Delicious and sweet my flesh _

_Can you see me now,_

_or can you not?" _

There was a slight pause of silence after Detuo finished as everyone took in the information.

"Well then, I wish you best of luck in this exam and may we meet again." Detuo stepped back onto the coach and the doors snapped shut abruptly after him.

People started dispersing, some who looked like they were walking with an aim, and some who just looked lost.

"You know, Kiri, I am solely depending on you," said Killua with a cheery smile.

"Well isn't it lucky that I think I have an idea on what is it," grinned Kiri. She pulled Killua lightly by the arm to a side. "Let me explain while we walk. I think the answer is a Zomato," she whispered quietly.

"A Zomato? What on Earth is that?" said a baffled Killua. "I have never heard of that in my life, isn't it a bit unfair to set that as an answer?"

Kiri shrugged. "Well they want to test our knowledge, and Zomatos aren't that uncommon. I guess you have to know at least that much to become a hunter."

Killua pouted a slightly. "How did _you _know what a Zomato is?"

"Do you really want to know?"

"Yes. There is no reason why you know and I don't. I won't allow it without a valid reason."

"Well the other day we were having dinner and I overheard Kikyo-sama was saying to Milluki about how his diet is extremely bad and he will soon eat his way to death, there were Zomatos on the menu then and she told him to eat more of that."

"Oh, well I guess they are some kind of vegetable then," Killua pulled a face. "But how did you deduce it from that riddle? It could've been anything. In fact, it could've even been Milluki."

"Except his skin isn't red. And I don't think it's delicious and sweet either."

"Except that."

"Well, if you're talking about something not being found on a tree, you would immediately think it's a fruit or vegetable, and since it's edible and its skin is such a vibrant colour, I assumed it would be this. If it wasn't for me, you would fail that straight away," she teased playfully.

Killua stuck out his tongue. "So do you know where you're going?"

"Yep, apparently they are found near lakes where the soil is moist and also near rabbit holes. They feed on rabbits."

Killua imagined a fruit with sharp teeth consuming an innocent large-eyed bunny and a little shiver ran down the assassin's spine.

"Since we know where we're going, this test will be like a Sunday stroll. Kinda boring though." He sighed. "I hope the rest of the exam will be somewhat more challenging."

As they walked further and further down the path, a bush behind them rustled quietly and two eyes peered out from the leaves. Watching them. Following them.


	3. Turns out to be a downfall too

They had been walking for 20 minutes and Killua become increasingly annoyed with the extra pair of footsteps he heard behind him.

"That guy...If you want to do a good job of following someone at least try harder," muttered Killua under his breath.

"Well can't blame him, I'm sure he's trying his best," replied Kiri with a small smile. She felt slightly sorry for their stalker (who she was sure was the previous guy making a loud ruckus on the coach, his footsteps were clumsy and heavy she had noted," to be up against two professional assassins. Luckily for him, Kiri was not the type to kill on a whim or without much thought. On the other hand, he may have tested his luck with Killua once too many times.

"How about we walk a little faster to get him off track?" suggested Killua. "I can almost feel him breathing down my neck."

Kiri shook her head and pointed ahead a little. "We're pretty much there."

They had spent about 20 minutes walking through a thick forest of trees. The trees grew so close together that the sunlight was blocked and they were walking in semi-darkness. Their stalker seemed to have difficulty with coping with the change in light and could be heard on several occasions, stumbling and crashing into trees.

They stepped out of the forest and entered a clearing, where in the middle, was a large deep blue lake, glittering in the sun. Just beyond the lake was a patch of soil, where Kiri could spot twenty or so red Zomatos.

Just as they started to head towards the Zomatos they heard a rustling noise from behind and a dark shadow shot past. It was the man on the coach who had previously tried to scam the other contestants as Kiri had known.

"So he finally shows himself," smirked Killua, and began manipulating his hand, making his nails sharp.

"Wait," said Kiri as she grabbed hold of his wrist. "There's no point chasing after him. We might as well let him do as he wishes."

Killua looked at the figure that had now reached the Zomatos and was piling a load into his arms. "I guess you have a point, no point wasting my energy. He won't be a worthy opponent anyways" Kiri released her grip and he drew back his hand. "But what on Earth is he doing?"

The scam man now had about twenty Zomato in his arms and had his head bent at a weird angle. He then lifted his head up and look left, then right, then began running down the pathway on the right side.

Kiri and Killua reached where the Zomatos were and saw that in front of the patch of Zomatos, was a signpost with strange writing on.

"What language is this written in? Does the examiners expect Hunters to know every language under the sun?!" complained Killua. "They must be having a laugh."

Kiri laughed at Killua's reaction. "Look carefully, and you'll see what this is."

Killua studied the signpost hard and then clicked. He turned his head sideways and realised the signpost just had Hunter language written on it up-side-down.

"Read it," said Kiri,

"Which….Way….Am I?" read Killua. "What is that supposed to mean, it's not any way is it?"

"I think the answer to this will tell us which path to go down," Kiri replied, pointing at the two pathways to their left and right.

"That dude just now went down the right pathway, should we just go down there and see what happens?" suggested Killua. "If it's wrong we can just come back up and go down the other one."

"I don't think that is a good idea," Kiri put her thumb to her chin and began thinking. "I think it's safe to assume that the examiners are always watching us. If we pick the wrong path way, come back up and pick the other one, we'll probably be immediately disqualified."

"How annoying, they have to pull little tricks like this." Killua kicked at the signpost. "Couldn't they have at least written on it the right way?"

"What did you say?"

"I said couldn't they have written it on the right way, are you okay Kiri?" Killua looked at Kiri with concern as he saw his older sister's eyes lit up.

Kiri clapped her hands together delightedly. "Of course! It's precisely as you said Killua."

"Huh? Are you alright Kiri; did the scent of Zomatos make you lose it?"

"Killua," she went over to the signpost, "If this is the wrong way up that makes it not the right way up. That means it's not the _right way _it's the…"

"..Left way!" finished Killua. "That was actually easier than I thought it would be."

"Although I did most of the work."

"Sh"

They proceed with their journey and walked down the left pathway. As they drew near to foot of a mountain where the pathway lead them, Killua suddenly had a thought. "Hey, we didn't need to bring Zomatos with us did we? I mean, that guy just now had a load in his arms."

A familiar voice which did not belong to Kiri answered his question. "No you do not. It never said in the riddle to bring Zomatos did it? Where did you get that idea from?"

Detuo appeared from behind some large rocks by where they were standing.

"Congratulations on finding your way here. You are the 4th and the 5th out of your group to have arrived," Detuo bowed slightly. "I will now guide you to the next stage. Detuo clicked his fingers and a door at the side of the mountain slowly began to rise upwards until it revealed a dark passageway. "Follow me please."

Kiri and Killua exchanged looks and followed after the examiner.

"Just now, another contestant went down the other pathway," began Killua. "Where did that lead to?"

"Oh, I didn't think anyone would actually go down that way, the clue in the signpost was pretty significant to me," replied Detuo who continued walking at a steady pace ahead without even looking back to face Killua. "There's a den at the end of that path where a pack of wolves reside. They live off on Zomatos. If you go down there carrying the scent of Zomatos, you'll be done in a matter of minutes. They're usually quite friendly, until them -Zomatos that is."

"And he was carrying an armful of them too," said Kiri, raising her eyebrows to Killua.

The torches lining the walls suddenly lit up, igniting their way, although Kiri could see pretty well without them anyways. Detuo stopped walking and clicked his fingers yet again. Another wall in front of him began to move up, showing a pitch black room.

"Kiri-sama, Killua-sama, we have now arrived. Please step into this elevator and it will take you to your destination. I wish you good luck with the rest of this exam."

Kiri and Killua stepped in the small room but before they could utter another word to Detuo, the doors dropped shut and they were plunged into darkness.

"Well, it was nice of him to—"but Kiri's sentence was cut short as the 'elevator' began moving violently, throwing both of them from side to side, and poor Killua was being crushed beneath Kiri with each throw.

The door suddenly opened up again and Kiri and Killua were thrown outwards onto the cold rocky floor in a pile, with Killua flattened on the ground beneath Kiri.

"Let's hope we don't have to go through that at each stage," said Kiri, clutching her head painfully whilst standing up.

"It was me who bore the brunt of it though," Killua stood up and brushed himself down. "You almost killed me."

"You won't die that easily," said Kiri, pinching Killua's cheeks playfully. "Now let's see what's next."

They spotted a steel door on the opposite wall. Beyond it was the room where the contestants who had passed were sitting and waiting for the next instructions. "Well whatever it is," said Killua, "it better not be like that elevator ride."


	4. A slow and slow start

I'm having too much fun with writing about this and that, and now we're in the fourth chapter but Kurapika has not even been introduced yet. -cry- This has gone on for too long, he shall come in next chapter! -thunder crashes in background-

* * *

Killua flipped his number plate absent-mindedly between his fingers. "Number 99, huh? Everyone sure is taking their time."

_Or maybe we're too early for them. _Replied Kiri.

"Kiri, remind me again why you don't want to join this?" Killua gave the black cat on his shoulder a little scratch under the chin and Kiri purred contently. The cat DNA that was inserted into Kiri had allowed her to morph into a cat for as long as she could remember. The early memories of the struggle to control when she could change and when she couldn't had been excruciating, but with the discipline of Illumi (and a good few months of being locked in a dungeon with little food and plenty of punishment upon failure), she managed to grasp the ability of changing whenever she wished.

The fact that Kiri could change, was a secret which only the Zoldycks and a handful of outsiders knew about. With less people knowing, the better is it for business. Purely because, who would suspect an innocent kitty, stretched out lazily on a wall to be a spy? Or who would remember that cat crouched in the corner of the room, as dark plans were being discussed?

Kiri didn't dislike being in cat form, but it was nowhere near as enjoyable as being a human. The senses, tastes and feelings…They all multiplied when she changed back into her original form. Being in cat form made her forget those feelings, but still, she didn't dislike it.

_Because I don't want to. Watching is enough for me, _Kiri responded, giving Killua's fingers a playful nip. This was partly the case, but she also didn't want to face the wrath of the older Zoldycks for doing something she wasn't supposed to. It was okay for Killua, the family dotes on him since he is the heir, but since Kiri isn't even related by blood, she probably wouldn't be let off with just a spank. Well, not that she would be let off with just a spank for escaping with Killua anyways.

She scanned her surroundings with a lack of interest, flicking her tail sideways. It had been almost an hour since the Zoldycks had arrived and with each second, the room was getting more and more crowded. From what Kiri took in, they appeared to be in an underground room and the dark dank confined space was filling up rapidly with the sounds of hushed whispers and the unpleasant smells of body odours.

_I'm going to go and check out any potential competition, _Kiri purred and leapt off of her brother's shoulders. _Although there doesn't seem to be much. _

Killua nodded but his attention seemed to be elsewhere. "Alright, I may have melted in a puddle from boredom by the time you have come back though."

Kiri sighed at her brother's comment and began making her way through the crowds, slipping between people's legs deftly. She noted that many of the people seem like first-timers, clueless and scared. She could almost smell their fear. As she drew near to the end of the room, she noticed a strange looking man sitting against the wall. Well, she wouldn't use the word _man _exactly, but he seemed to have the body of a man but his somewhat deformed head had neat rows of pins sticking out. When she approached him, as silently as she could without being noticed, she could hear a faint, constant chattering of his teeth. She edged nearer, hidden in the shadows next to him and began thinking of how this creature reminded him of a certain someone…When his head turned at a hideous, inhumane angle to peer at her. Kiri stayed calm. _Lesson 1, act like a cat. Cats don't get tense when someone is looking at them. At least, not a Zoldyck cat. _

The pin headed man reached out a hand and Kiri padded towards it cautiously. As soon as his fingers touched her head, she recognised him. From the way his fingers moved to stroke her back, to the gentle tickling behind her ears, she had no doubt. Appearances may lie, but habits stay the same.

_Illumi, _she purred. _What are you doing here?_

"What a surprise it is seeing you here, dear sister," Illumi answered. "I heard of the escape from Mother, it does seem like she's not too pleased, but she's not unhappy. She's rather excited at Killua's progress. I think 'he grows up so fast,' were her exact words."

_Are you here to take us back? Because if you are, I don't thin- _

"No," he said interrupted, "I'm only here for a license I require. I never thought in a million years that you two would pick _here _of all places to come to."He leaned in closer to face Kiri. "Don't tell Killua this little meeting we had, I'm sure it will do us much better for him not to know. Well, at least for now." He reached his hand to Kiri again and gave her a little pat on the head. "Now run along."

Kiri bit back a retort to Illumi's patronising behaviour, gave him one final look and sulked off. Her relationship with Illumi wasn't bad. He treated her as well as he ever would, taught her what she needed to know about the arts of spying and even occasionally let her nap on his bed. _Much nicer than how Milluki treats me anyways, _Kiri though bitterly.

Shaking off the memory of the encounter with Illumi, she hurried off to look for her white-haired companion and found him talking cheerily to a middle aged man with a bulbous nose.

"Thanks old man, these will keep me going for a while," grinned Killua, and he threw his head back and glugged down a couple of (what seemed like to Kiri) soft drinks. When Kiri neared, she sniffed at the few drops of spilled soda near their feet and growled at the man. The smell would seem normal and sweet to a normal human, but Kiri could detect the traces of sour poison lying underneath.

"Oh, you're back Kiri, want some?" Killua offered a can to Kiri with a smirk. "This thing is laced with so much laxatives it's a joke."

The man looked bewildered. "Excuse me? I-I..Th-There's.."

"But I'm pretty tough so I'll be okay, thanks for the drinks old man," Killua handed the empty cans back to the man and held out his arm for Kiri to run up on.  
_I don't like that guy, he's too fishy. What's the fun in trying to catch people out before the game has even begun? _Commented Kiri when they began walking away and she was more comfortably settled again on his shoulder.

"Well we can hardly speak," Killua reply. "There's probably many of these guys around. Did you see that other guy over there with the cards? He was cutting off someone's arms for bumping into him."

Kiri did vaguely remember someone crying out loud and the sharp, tangy smell of blood, but due to her intense conversation with Illumi, she didn't pay much attention.

_I think it's best if we stay away from him, he doesn't sound like good news. _Kiri just began to contemplate whether or not to tell Killua about the seeing Illumi, when the shrill voice of a bell rang.

"As of now, registration is now closed. The hunter exam will now begin."

Quietly, she heard Killua mutter under his breath. "Well thank God for that."


	5. Pick up the paceIt's running time!

"So is that guy the first examiner?" Leorio wondered out loud to his companions, "I thought the exam would be harder than this but all we seem to be doing, is having a leisurely stroll."

"Well in case you haven't noticed, Leorio," Kurapika said with a sigh, "the pace is picking up gradually."

Leorio suddenly realised, with a surprise, that he found himself walking rather briskly and even jogging lightly to keep up, as opposed to when he had started.

"Oh yea," was all he could manage to reply with. "But still, this seems like it'll be a cinch."

"I don't think you'll say that after a couple of hours," said Kurapika. "This isn't only a test of physical ability, there's also an element of mental stress to take into account. Who knows how long we'll be running for. Plus, you look like you're beginning to get tired."

"O-of course not"! Spluttered Leorio, "I'm only getting warmed up!" And he sprinted a couple of metres ahead to prove his point.

"The people in the front are running now," added Gon. "Yet the examiner doesn't look like he's moving much at all though."

As soon as Gon said that, he felt a rush of cool air to his right. Gon turned his head and his brown eyes met a pair of cold blue eyes.

"Hey, skateboard?! Shouted Leorio, "That's cheating!"

"Huh?" replied Killua, casually sliding along. "How so?"

_The guy's just jealous. I bet he wished he had brought one along too. Not sure if he knows how to use one though_, laughed Kiri. _They probably weren't invented in his generation._

"Well obviously this is a test of endurance, why should you have it easy when everyone else is sweating their butts off?! Don't you think so too Gon?" opined Leorio.

"The examiner only said follow," piped Gon who received an angry glare.

"Yelling just wastes energy Leorio," said Kurapika. "And don't forget, it irritates me too."

Kiri looked up to observe the person who the voice belonged to and noted down mentally, his peculiar clothing with interest. It looked like a type of traditional clothing, soft blue fabric lined with a warm shade of red reaching all the way down to his ankles. His brown eyes were curved and oval, which gave him a cat-like expression.

_Say Killua, I've never seen anyone wearing clothing before like that person, where is it from?_

"I don't know, don't ask me," replied Killua with a slight shrug.

"Huh, did you ask for my name?" The spiky haired, energetic boy (who Kiri identified to be Gon) spoke up. "My name is Gon! What's yours?"

Kiri laughed inwardly. What an interesting bunch of people they seem.

"Killua. Maybe I should run for a while," Killua flipped off his skateboard and caught it with one hand.

"What about your cat? Does it have a name?" Gon asked.

"Her name's Kiri," answered Killua.

"She seems different from normal animals. The way she looks at people when they talk almost make her seem like a human herself. I've never seen something like that before," commented Gon.

Kiri mewed in response. No one could hear her words apart from Killua, who only understood what she said because of the amount of time he spent with her. Whilst the language she spoke in cat form wasn't a human dialect, it wasn't exactly the language of the felines either. The only way Kiri could explain it was more like a cat trying to speak human words, but failing miserably and to outsiders it sounded like a combination of purrs and mews. Illumi could understand the basics, but Silvia, Zeno and Kikyo understood next to nothing and let's not even go there with Milluki.

"She's a weird cat who likes to pretend she's human. A stray unfortunately, I picked up her on the roadside," said Killua and received a nip on the cheek.

As the run progressed, Kiri noticed than Killua and Gon were getting further and further away from the other pair. This was partly due to the fact that Leorio was becoming extremely tired and Kurapika was accompanying him for the sake of it. Although, she wanted to stay with Killua, she decided to check out the other pair. Her legs needed a stretch anyways, so she jumped off and ran near the duo, but not next to them. At this point, Leorio had almost stripped half naked and his body was literally dripping with sweat in comparison with Kurapika, who only had a few beads of sweat running down his cheeks.

"….I've met a lot of people who are motivated by money but not half of them are as dedicated as you are!" Kiri heard Kurapika say.

Kiri seemed to have entered halfway through a heated argument. Just her luck.

"Hmph, fat lot you know!" was Leorio's reponse.

There were a few seconds of silence before Kurapika spoke again.

"The Kurtas were targeted because of their scarlet eyes," he said. The atmosphere suddenly became more tense and Kiri felt like she was treading on unknown territory- which she was used to. Except she wasn't getting paid for this job so it became slightly more awkward. "The scarlet eyes are a special trait of my clan. When our passions are excited, they turn a fiery scarlet colour which is considered one of the most beautiful colours in the world."

"So that's why your clan was attacked?" asked Leorio.

"If we are in an agitated state when we die, our irises stay that colour. All of them killed...for what death creates."

Kiri listened silently, unable to feel much, if at all any emotion. She grew up in with the Zoldycks, whose family business was killing. Killing, killing and more killing. Morning schedule planned for killing, evening schedule, more killing. She tried to sympathise by imagining what life would be like if Killua was murdered...and to her surprise, found herself shaking uncontrollably.

She tuned out for the rest of the conversation and only caught the occasional words of 'revenge' and 'recover the eyes of my clan' but decided she had heard enough.

As she caught up with Killua, she couldn't help recalling the conversation. From past experience, she found that she could put the entire human population in two categories. People who steal, and people who are stolen from. People who steal are the cunning people who take things for their own benefit, whether in return for money, love, you name it. The phantom troupe would be put under this condition. But what about Kurapika? He is the one who is being stolen from. But unlike others, he's not mooching around, in fact, he's even planning on stealing them _back_,_ And that_, mused Kiri, _is what I find intriguing._

"Welcome back Kiri," said Killua, when Kiri caught up. "Where did you go?"

"You missed my story of how I want to follow in my Dad's footsteps and become a pro hunter," said Gon cheerfully.

"She can't understand you Gon, she only pretends she can," replied Killua, giving a sideways glance to Kiri.

"Oh yea.. But somehow I can't shake off the feeling that she's part of the conversation, haha, how strange!" Gon laughed, embarrassed. "Oh look, it's the exit!"

In the not so far distance, they spotted a glowing rectangular box. As they neared it, Kiri noticed it was actually the doorway to the outside.

Being the first three to finish the first phase, Killua, Gon and Kiri waited patiently for the others to catch up.

"F-Finally…!" gasped Leorio, almost dropping to his knees after reaching the exit. "I thought it would be never ending!"

"I thought more people would drop out , but it only seemed like thirty seven did," observed Kurapika, joining them. He seemed slightly worn out which was only noticeable as he had taken off his traditional clothing, revealing white top and bottoms underneath.

"We have now reached 'Swindler's swamp," said the first examiner. "Now the next leg of the first phase will commence."

"Are you serious?!" yelled Leorio, uttering a string of French curse words and brandishing his fist.

To this, the rest of the group gave a heavy sigh, and shook their heads.


	6. It's getting a little chilly here

I do think my story is progressing quite slowly but I would prefer to work more on my character and get the relationships right than forcing it. Hang in there!

* * *

The mist was gathering quickly and was becoming so thick that Kiri had problems looking ahead. All she could see were the dark outlines of trees and foggy whiteness. Beneath her, she could hear pleasant sounds going squish as her paws squelched against the wet swampy terrain. They had begun the next marathon leading to the second phase for a good 20 minutes already but in the middle of all the panic and mist, Kiri had found herself separated from her companions-and the rest of the group.

_Darn it_, sighed Kiri, as she morphed back to her human shape to get a better idea of where she was. Only a few minutes ago she was running alongside Gon and Killua who were talking about Hisoka's bloodlust. It was probably even thicker than the mist, hanging in the air.

_If it was me against Hisoka, I don't think I'll be able to come out unscathed. I better find the others._ She took a quick scan of her surroundings and spotted a set of wet muddy footprints to her right. Without a second thought, she chased after it.

Around her she could hear the screams of shouts of other contestants and wondered if any belonged to her new companions.

_It would be a shame if something happened to that blonde boy, I would like to observe him more_...Being deep in thought, Kiri failed to noticed a black shape running towards her. It was not till at the last second that she looked up but it was already too late. They collided abruptly and rolled over several times before landing in a pile under a large oak tree.

Before Kiri could get her senses, she found herself lifted and pushed up against the oak tree, with one wooden bokken pushed under her throat.

"Who are you?" her attacker hissed. Kiri's head spun, and she narrowed her eyes to get a clearer glimpse of her attacker. There was no mistaking the brown cat-like eyes. It was Kurapika.

"If you don't answer me, I won't hesitate to treat you as danger," Kiri looked at Kurapika hard, contemplating if she should give away her identity. The odds weren't exactly in her favour right now. If she told Kurapika, she could potentially be putting her career at risk, her life even. Not to mention if Killua found out he would give her a scolding. She could tell him who she is...But then she would have to kill him later. _What a pity_, Kiri thought to herself, _I have an interest in him too. _

"If you lower your weapon and give me a chance to speak, I'll tell you," said Kiri.

Kurapika eyed her suspiciously, before lowering his bokken a fraction. "I haven't seen you before, you're not one of the contestants. I could kill you now, you could be one of those monkey shape shifters."

Kiri laughed, "well you got the shape shifter part right I guess, but I'm no monkey."

"What do you mean?" asked Kurapika, pushing the bokken up again. "Explain yourself."

"Well," she began, "I can change my form. That's probably why you haven't seen me before, when in fact, I've been right alongside you."

"You're testing my patience."

She sighed. "I'm that black cat you see with Killua. I change shape. Shape shifter. Whatever you want to call it. If you give me some space, I'll show you."

Still full of suspicion, the solicitous Kurta hesitated for a second, and then stepped back. "Okay, show me then."

In a blink of an eye, in the place where Kiri stood, sat a small black cat.

"See?" said Kiri, returning to her original form. "I wasn't lying...Are you okay?"

Kurapika seemed to be a small state of shock. His eyes were wide and lips parted, as though he was about to say something. When he finally recovered from the surprised he said, "how did you do that? What are you?"

"That. Is. A. Secret," Kiri took a step forward with each word she spoke until she was face to face with the blonde Kurta. Their faces a few breaths apart.

"You can't tell anyone about this," she whispered whilst looking at him straight in the eyes. They were a warm brown colour and she found herself unable to concentrate properly the more she looked. _What a pretty colour,_ she though.

"And if I do?" replied Kurapika, cocking an eyebrow. "What will you do?"

"You don't want to find out," said Kiri, with a small smile. "After all, I am one of the Zoldycks." She took a step back and inhaled the air deeply. "We should probably get back to the others," she suggested. The mist had cleared a little and Kiri could smell a familiar scent in the air. Her sense of smell was nothing to be proud of, but with the right conditions, she could just about pick up on a scent. "It's this way."

She could tell Kurapika was still unsure but he was even more lost than she was, and she knew, that he knew he would need her help.

Kurapika bit his lips and swallowed all the other million questions he had and replied with just a nod. With that, she changed back to cat shape, and bounded off to the direction of her brother.

"Kurapika!" exclaimed Gon. "Where were you? You're all battered up!Oh, Kiri's here as well,"

Kiri slipped over to Killua and arched her back as Killua stroked her lightly. "Where were you?" said Killua, "You just disappeared. I had half the mind to go back and find you."

_I just took a little detour, don't worry,_ purred Kiri. _What happened to Leorio? He's all beat up against that tree._ Kiri looked over to see an unconscious, bruised figure propped up against a tree and a worried Kurapika and Gon hurrying over to attend to him.

"It seems like him and Kurapika had an encounter with our joker," he said, glancing at Hisoka. "At least he has satisfied his bloodlust for now."

_So when I saw Kurapika he must have been escaping from Hisoka_, thought Kiri. _And got separated from Leorio._

"Hey Killua!" shouted Gon whilst waving his arms to get him to come over. "Leorio has woken up!"

As Killua approached the older man, he stood up slowly, clutching his head.

"Ugh...What happened to me? My head hurts like crazy!"

"Uhm...You felt tired and took a nap under the tree!" said Gon, laughing nervously.

"And I managed to beat myself up when I was sleeping? Gosh Gon, I'm more clumsy than I thought," he replied sarcastically.

"Ah about that...Well never mind, oooh looks at those big doors over there!" said Gon, changing the topic quickly. "Let's go guys!" And he ran off into the crowd of remaining candidates.

Leorio turned to face Kurapika, opened his mouth to demand what has happened…Then closed it again and shook his head. "Wait for me, Gon!" he shouted, and ran after the spiky haired boy.


	7. The mouse runs up the clock

_Ding. Dong. Ding._

The clock finally struck twelve and the remaining contestants gathered even closer to the large doors which led to the second phase. As Kiri observed, some were nervous and jittery whereas others seem calm and almost bored. Gon didn't seem to fit in either categories, he had sparks literally flying out of his eyes and was jumping up and down on his tiptoes, trying to get a glimpse of the entrance over everyone's shoulders. Killua seemed mildly uninterested and had one leg on his skateboard, rolling it back and forth. Leorio had an irritated, impatient look on his face and was tapping a finger over his folded elbow, and Kurapika stood next to them, not betraying anything from his face.

Kiri clambered to Killua's head and sat on top for a better view. As the doors open, Kiri could spot a single sofa and a woman with five stiff ponytails sticking out of her head, sitting on it. She had a mischievous grin in her face and Kiri could tell she could be a difficult one to please. Behind her, was a gluttonous man who looked like a giant when compared to normal people. He had an upset look draw on his face and loud, low grumbling noises seem to be emitting from his stomach.

"Hey Menchi, let's get this started quickly," complained the large man. "I'm starting to get hungry."

"Hah, I can hear that without you even needing to tell me. Let's hope these guys can satisfy our hungry," Menchi replied. "Alright, listen up you guys!"

All eyes were fixed on her.

"Your job for this phase is to catch us some Moleleik Rodents. And we want them cooked. If you don't know what they look like, we have kindly prepared a dead specimen to your right."

On cue, a large rat the size of a big dog dangling from a piece of rope from the ceiling on Buhara and Menchi's left hand side.

"Well then, what are you waiting for? Take a good look and then go!" said Menchi. "Oh and before I forget, we only released eighty of these rats onto the land so everyone's your enemy!"

Mumbling spread across the crowd and in a matter of seconds, everyone was scrambling to reach the front of the building to look at the specimen. By the time Killua and the group got to the specimen, everyone had already left and they were the only ones left.

"I've never seen a rat this huge before," commented Leorio. "Look at those eyes, they're so blank."

"And those whiskers as well," gaped Gon, poking at it. "They're twice as long as my fingers!"

"It has quite a thick, waterproof coat though," observed Killua. " So it probably lives somewhere cold and wet."

"And dark," added Kurapika. He pointed at the eyes. "They're blind so they don't see much light. It's most likely they rely on their whiskers and long tails to get their way around."

_I think his observations skills are better than yours, Killua,_ grinned Kiri. _He beats you there._

"Shut up before I decide to make cat soup with you," Killua replied.

Kiri saw Kurapika's eyes flicker to her for a brief moment. It was quick that Killua didn't notice, but not quick enough for Kiri to not.

"Most people went over in that direction towards the woods," said Gon, "But the caves are over there." He pointed towards the opposite direction of the woods. "I saw it earlier when we went past."

"Okay, let's go there then," decided Kurapika, and they headed off towards the caves.

After a short walk, they came across a huge stone wall with numerous holes acting as the entrance. Standing in front of the entrace, was a certain magician.

"Hey," drawled Hisoka. "That didn't take long."

"Hisoka!" shouted Gon. Hisoka did a little wave in reply. All around him were several dead Moleleik Rodents and he had one dangling from his hand too.

"That guy…" said Leorio. "How can you catch so much, it's one per person!"

"Calm down Leorio," said Kurapika. "They never said it's limited to one per person. He could catch all of them and pass the Hunter exam on his own if he wanted and he won't be violating any rules."

"Correct," said the Magician with a creepy smile. "But then that wouldn't be any fun would it?" He gave the tail of the rat a quick spin and flung it to Kurapika's foot.

"How about I make you guys a deal? If you guys all come at me together and manage to steal one of my rats, I will give each of you one. How about that?"

"Challenge accepted!" shouted Gon, who still remembered how bad Hisoka attacked Leorio.

"Hey Gon! Don't be so reckless, we can't all go against him!" said Kurapika. "We'll just all get killed!"

"Ah...Don't worry about that. I managed to release some pent up emotions just now so I won't kill you. Probably ," said Hisoka. "You are my previous fruits after all."

"Kurapika is right," Killua said, pretending he didn't hear the last part of Hisoka's sentence. "You would be sentencing yourself to death if we went against him."

"But we won't know if we don't try! I still can't forgive him for what he done to Leorio and Kurapika too!"

"Gon…" said Leorio. "Okay, you creepy third rate magician, we will take you on!"

Before anyone else could stop him, Leorio charged towards him. Only to be battered aside. Hidden behind Leorio, Gon jumped out and aimed a punch but Hisoka sidestepped and tripped him up easily.

Beside her, Kiri could hear Kurapika sigh and take up his bokken as he ran in to join the fight.

"What idiots," said Killua. "They know they can't win yet they're doing this. Kiri, he doesn't know that you're not a normal cat so while we fight, I'll distract his attention and you go and get one of those rats, okay?"

Kiri meowed in response and jumped off to one of the nearby trees. She watched as Killua joined and the magician just seemed to be dancing between the four of them. Well, three to be exact since Leorio was knocked out again.

She edged closer and closer to the pile of rats. Killua was leading the fight further and further away. Her eyes immediately went to Kurapika next, who paused for a moment to wipe his forehead with the back of his brow. His face in deep concentration. She saw Gon whip out his fishing rod and whilst Hisoka's attention was astray, she raced into the pile and took one of the rats between her teeth. Just before she took the rat, she felt a blast of killer intent directed towards her and a shiver ran down her spine.

"Hah! We did it!" said Gon. "We took a rat!" He sat down on the floor, exhausted. Kurapika relaxed slightly, but still had his guard up. Nearby, Killua dropped down from a branch onto all fours.

Hisoka turned around and raised an eyebrow. "Well it seems like you did. That ended quicker than I expected. How sad. I suppose this is a good place to stop...Anymore and I might get…_excited…_" Kiri looked at Hisoka's face. He licked his lips at her.

When they were sure that Hisoka had walked far enough from them, they relaxed and picked up a rat each.

"Maybe we should hide the rest," suggest Leorio. "Y'know so there'll be less compet-" but his sentence was never finished as Kurapika hit him on the head.

* * *

"You went easy on them."

Hisoka turned around and saw the slender figure of a Zoldyck leaning against a tree.

"I _almost_ lost control. It was so fun toying with them."

"So fun that you forgot to keep a rat for yourself," said Illumi ,tossing him one.

"Thanks . If you didn't tell me about that little kitty, I would've been quite surprised too. She hides her presence quite well."

"That's to be expected. She was taught by me. If you lay hands on her or Killua however, I will kill you."

Hisoka chuckled. "This may get interesting."


	8. Sweet delectable sushiWas never molded

This is a short chapter. I have some plans for the next few chapters which involve more action!

* * *

Kiri watched Buhara gobble up all the cooked rats without even pausing for a breath, even the ones that looked burnt or undercooked.

_Someone must be hungry,_ she said to Killua.

"He reminds me of Milluki, that way he eats," replied Killua. "Not something I want to be reminded of."

"Well, I guess that was okay," said a satisfied Buhara, rubbing his stomach. "Seventy applicants have passed!"

"How did he do that?" whispered Gon to his fellow friends. "The mountain of bones behind him is even bigger than him! If we took him to a eating competition he could win so much!"

"He mustn't be a human, he should've reached his full capacity 40 rats ago," said Kurapika. "There must be some kind of trick…"

"I think you guys are reading too much into it," said Leorio, uninterested.

"I thought you're supposed to be the doctor."

"I've come to the conclusion a while ago, that Hunters and humans are two different species."

Still on the sofa, Menchi could be seen shaking her head. "Buhara, you didn't judge their quality at all," tutted the second gourmet hunter. "At least you've narrowed it down a little."

She hopped off from her seat and began walking towards contestants. "Right, this time it's _my_ challenge. I want you to make sushi."

People began murmuring between themselves again.

"Sushi? What's that," said Killua.

_I've heard of it,_ said Kiri._ Remember that time when I was following these two people from yorkshin for 3 months? It took ages before they said where their boss was, but during that time, all they ever talked about was this delicious object called shisu._

"Uh...Kiri, I hate to burst your bubble but this is called sushi."

_They said it was a prism shape_, continued Kiri, ignoring her brother, _and inside was filled with indescribable beauties._  
"I have a feeling they were talking about something else, but okay," he replied. They looked over to Gon, Kurapika and Leorio, who seemed to be in a heated discussion about what it was.

"I think it's some kind of cooked animal! It kinda sounds like sheep, su-sheep!" said Gon.

"I think you'll find it's sushi, Gon," replied Kurapika. "She has given us rice, and that ninja seems to think it's to do with fish.."

"What the heck, we should just follow that ninja!" said Leorio.

After 1 hour of fighting and arguing they decided to make by themselves what they thought was sushi.

Leorio, who had been tailing the ninja, presented a bowl of rice with slab of cooked fish on top. Menchi threw the plate at his face.

Gon went with his idea, managed to find a wild goat and roasted it beautifully. Menchi spun the goat by its legs, and threw it far far away.

Kurapika cooked up an oblong shaped rice with fish hidden inside. Menchi said "well done for trying," and threw the plate like a frisbee.

Killua went with Kiri's idea, and needless to say, that didn't turn out right either.

"I'm so tired of this! No one can deliver what I'm asking for so I fail all of you!"

Frustrated cries and shouts began from all of the contestants.

Just when everyone was about to launch a mass revolt and Menchi was getting angrier and angrier by the second, an airship descended and an old man stepped out.

"It's the hunter association," said Kurapika.

"C-Chairman Netero.." stuttered Menchi. " What brings you here?"

"Hello Menchi," said Netero. All his hair from his head seem to have gone into growing his long white beard and moustache and bushy eyebrows. His earlobes were pierced and long, as though some heavy jewellery has been having from them for years. Even with his wooden clogs which were a few inches high, he remained shorter than Menchi. He seemed like a typical old man, yet Kiri could _feel_ he wasn't a typical old man. "You seem to have caused some fuss here. As I heard earlier, you have decided to fail all of this year's applicants, no?"

"Yes…But that was because no one has presented me with what I have requested. I understand that I have high expectations as a gourmet hunter and this could be a disadvantage to them. If Chairman Netero believes the same, then I will resign from my post."

"Well, instead of that I have thought of a better idea," said Netero. "Continue the exam, but just change the conditions. That way you can still be the examiner and the examinees stand a better chance."

With that, another test was arranged which involved hunting for eggs. Although some found this phase harder, for Gon and his crew, it was a piece of cake.

Afterwards, applicants remaining: 42.


	9. Cat in a cradle

"That was fun, wasn't it Killua?" asked Gon, beaming as he stepped onto the airship. "The eggs were sooo big, and they were sooo tasty too!"

"I guess you could call that fun," replied Killua. "They were pretty tasty."

_You didn't even let me eat any of yours meanie_, pouted Kiri. _I had to let Gon feed me some._

"That was for telling me the wrong idea about sushi," said Killua.

"Huh? Who are you talking to Killua?" said Gon. They had now entered the main room of the airship and some contestants were stretching out onto the floor for a nap.

"No one," said Killua quickly. "Hey Gon, wanna go check out the ship?"

"You bet!" said Gon, racing on ahead out of the room.

_I'm gonna pass on that, I think I deserve a nap after all that._

"Your catness coming out again? Speaking of which, you have been in that form for quite a long time. Shouldn't you turn back for a break?"

Kiri was about that answer with_ 'But I was out of the form during the first phase..'_ when she caught herself mid-thought, remembering that Killua wasn't supposed to know about it.

_I'll be fine. I've been in this form for longer before._

Killua picked Kiri off his shoulder and set her on the floor.

_Try not to get into too much mischief, Killua-chan_, said the older sister. Killua stuck his tongue out briefly before running out of the room to catch up with Gon.

_Right...Now what spot should I pick._

Kiri gave the spacious room a quick scan with her eyes. There were only a handful of people out of the forty-two contestants who had made themselves comfortable. Amongst them she spotted Leorio and Kurapika sitting against the wall, chatting.

As discreetly as possible, she crept over and settled a few meters away. Curling up, she began her catnap.

Kiri wasn't sure how many hours has passed before she opened her eyes again. Her vision blurry and still half-asleep, she made out a figure covered in a blanket near her, snoozing away.

_Killua? You back already_? Kiri went over and snuggled under the blanket, enjoying the warmth. After a few seconds Kiri realised something was wrong. The scent smelt different, but not before Kurapika realised first.

"...Kiri?" said Kurapika, a little surprised. Before Kiri could move, she found herself lifted under her forelegs. She hissed with as much venom as she could.

_Let go of me,_ she said, struggling to get out of his grip, forgetting that he couldn't understand her.

"I have some questions I want to ask you, if you turn back to your original form, we could have a chat."

Cursing, Kiri could see no choice. Without turning back to her form, he would not let go of her. Being lifted by Kurapika wasn't an unpleasant experience though, she found._ He has a comforting grip._

When she turned back to her form, she found herself sitting between his legs. Looking to her right, Leorio wasn't in his spot anymore. There were only around five other people in the room, Hisoka and her older brother was no where in sight. As she was about to make her quick escape, Kurapika tightened his hands on her shoulders.

"You can't leave this room without being noticed, if I can help it," said the Kurta. "Stay. I want to ask you some things too. About your ability."

Kiri sighed. She had no idea how she always managed to be caught by this Kurta. "Okay, what do you want to ask?"

For a second, she thought she saw a sparkle in Kurapika's eyes.

"What is this ability? How is it possible that you can turn into a cat?"

"I have DNA of cat inserted in me, which makes me technically, part cat. I forget which breed it was though, or if it was combination of several."

"But technology hasn't advanced to the point where humans can be combined with animals," said Kurapika. "Are you telling me you're not human?"

"My turn to ask questions now," said Kiri, grinning. She realised she hasn't moved from the position of being between his legs, but that wasn't bothering her much.

Unlike a normal teenager, Kiri wasn't aware of relationships concerning romance. Being brought up by assassins and surrounded by males, that was to be expected. However, she did catch her naughty younger white haired brother watching some inappropriate late night shows on several occasions.

Kiri had a brief flashback to when she was fourteen and stumbled onto Killua in his room, with the lights off and the TV on.

"Killua...What are you watching?"

"Adult channel."

"What are those people doing? Why are their clothes off? Are they wrestling?"

"No, they're having fun."

Kiri didn't see how on earth they could be having fun in that position, so without asking further questions, she left her brother to his entertainment.

_There are some weird entertainment nowadays..._She remembered thinking.

"I overheard that conversation you had with Leorio, what do you plan to do with revenge?" As soon as she asked that question, Kiri realised she was intruding on a delicate subject. Kurapika's face hardened.

"They took from my clan. So I will take from them. Their lives."

"Why don't you hire assassins? That would save time and effort."

"The phantom troupe are dangerous criminals, no one will be able to stand up against them easily. And if it's not _me_ who carries out the revenge, then there will be no meaning."

"No meaning? I don't understand that. But you're still killing them aren't you?" Kiri leaned close to his face so they were only inches apart, unaware that the more curious she got, the shorter the distance between them became. Suddenly aware of the proximity, a light blush appeared on Kurapika's face. He moved so she sat next to him against the wall.

"Well yes but, how can I explain this. When someone does something that you don't think is right, you will want to bring justice down on them with your own hands. That's my idea of revenge."

"What good will revenge do? In our family business, we get all kinds of people asking for all kinds of assassinations. Some are just minor disputes, but we get the odd revenge ones too."

Kurapika's eyes softened a little as he looked at her. "You haven't lost anyone important have you?"

Kiri suddenly remembered that horrible feeling she experienced earlier when she tried to imagine a life without Killua. She shook her head to be rid of it.

"I don't think anyone I know will die that easily or anytime soon. All the people I know are my family, and they're a pretty tough bunch."

"The pain just stays here. Even after a long time when you've tried to convince yourself that you've moved on, you'll still be expecting that person to walk through your doors like normal," Kurapika smiled sadly, and Kiri felt a twinge in her chest. "When that time comes, you'll understand."

When Kiri was struggling to think of a reply, the door creaked open. Kiri looked over to see a flash of white and then in an instant, Killua had Kurapika against the wall, his nails sharpened and against the older boy's throat.

"You know our secret," said Killua, with menace in his eyes.

Kurapika looked back into Killua's eyes calmly.

"Killua…" said Kiri.

"He knows. I can't let him live." Killua's hands pricked Kurapika's throat. A bead of blood trickled down.

"It's okay, he won't tell anyone," said Kiri. She wasn't sure that he wouldn't tell anyone, but she just had a hunch

"How can we guarantee that? If this gets out, it would cause a lot of trouble."

"Well it's not like I won't be able to follow people anymore, it just won't be as convenient."

"Exactly. Which is why we need to keep people quiet."

"That's why I'm telling you, it's okay. We can trust Kurapika. Gon and Leorio too. Also if you kill Kurapika, it'll be too suspicious. What will happen to Gon if he finds out? Now that you've made a new friend too." A list of possible reasons to not kill Kurapika ran through her head.

"...Friend?" Killua lowered his hand and glared at Kurapika. "I'll let you live. But if you speak one wo-"

"I'll die? Okay I get it," said Kurapika. He looked a little tense, but otherwise, unfazed by the situation. Killua stepped back. "You have my word. I don't have any reason to reveal your secret anyways, having the Zoldycks to be my enemy isn't exactly top priority."

"I'm guessing you don't want to die young."

"Why did you come back so early?" Kiri cut in. "Where's Gon?"

"That old man Netero challenged us to a game. I didn't want to get too into it so I left early," her brother replied. "And it's not early, an announcement was made that we will be arriving soon."

"I must've slept for a long time then…" she glanced at Kurapika quickly, who noticed and gave her a small smile.

"I'm gonna go shower and then hit the hay for a while before we land, c'mon Kiri," said Killua.

Kiri didn't want to leave the blonde boy so quickly, just as their conversation was getting interesting but she knew that would upset her brother. He could get protective sometimes. She gave a final look at the boy then turned back to her cat form and jumped on Killua's shoulder.

Amazingly, while their whole incident was going on, the other five people in the room remained sound asleep. They didn't even move.

Upon leaving the room, Kiri braced herself for what was to come. She knew that she would not hear the end of this.

_Oh dear_, she thought.


End file.
